Sometimes Panama City Beach can leave you 'dumbified'

By S. Brady Calhoun / Online Editor

Published: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 09:19 AM.

PANAMA CITY
BEACH
- Last week as news broke that two fugitives had escaped from a prison in
Franklin
County
I turned to a reporter and said, "You need to check with law enforcement because you know those guys are on
Panama City
Beach
."

By now you probably know that my instincts were correct although not in the way I originally thought. I assumed they just came here to find a party like some criminals I have reported on over the years. In fact, they were hoping to catch a ride out of the state, according to law enforcement officials.

The reporter called by the way and was told the fugitives were not in town. When they got arrested, in town, Saturday I felt like Gomer Pyle.

Anyway, I spent years dealing with people who don't understand why
Panama City
Beach
is a real leader in weird crime news.

Some of it is homegrown. I was born here. These are my people. But, I will be the first to admit that some of them are rough and tumble customers who find unique and stupid ways to break the law and make the news.

PANAMA CITYBEACH - Last week as news broke that two fugitives had escaped from a prison in FranklinCounty I turned to a reporter and said, "You need to check with law enforcement because you know those guys are on Panama CityBeach."

By now you probably know that my instincts were correct although not in the way I originally thought. I assumed they just came here to find a party like some criminals I have reported on over the years. In fact, they were hoping to catch a ride out of the state, according to law enforcement officials.

The reporter called by the way and was told the fugitives were not in town. When they got arrested, in town, Saturday I felt like Gomer Pyle.

Anyway, I spent years dealing with people who don't understand why Panama CityBeach is a real leader in weird crime news.

Some of it is homegrown. I was born here. These are my people. But, I will be the first to admit that some of them are rough and tumble customers who find unique and stupid ways to break the law and make the news.

However, Panama CityBeach gets a lot of help in the crime news category from outsiders. City officials and several of PCBs biggest business owners throw huge parties several times each year and then invite the world. No one should be surprised (although some people in town do act surprised) if that kind of atmosphere brings a certain amount of trouble.

If you invite the world you will get all kinds.

The teenager who was part of a murder claimed she was a vampire and a werewolf? She was local. The actual cannibal arrested in Lynn Haven? He was from Connecticut. The woman who made a scene in a Burger King during Spring Break? The BK Brawler was from Alabama.

If you invite the world you will get upscale and college educated but you will also get dropouts and terminally dumb.

One girl told me she was 'dumbified' when she and her new boyfriend were arrested for stealing a truck and leading the cops on a high speed chase through the north part of the state. She claimed innocence but I had my doubts. The whole mess started when he picked her up at her house after telling her he wanted to start a new life on the beach with her.

The fact that neither of them had a job and that he only had a few bucks in his pocket didn't seem to faze either one of them. That lack of long term planning can lead to trouble.

I'll leave it for you to hash out who is responsible. Is it the atmosphere or something in the water? Locals looking for trouble or out-of-towners looking for a good time. And why are the fugitives never caught at one of those outlet malls in Destin?